


Together

by wrothmothking



Category: Alien: Isolation (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Short One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-27
Updated: 2019-10-27
Packaged: 2021-01-04 21:54:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 906
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21204677
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wrothmothking/pseuds/wrothmothking
Summary: "I'd like it if you didn't die, too."





	Together

She'd known where he was, remembered the Working Joe who'd sat in the glass box before him. Unhelpful, but not yet hostile. Seeing him seated there is different.

Ricardo looks so vulnerable. Not a solid wall to hide him from view, a vent overhead. Only one way out. Nowhere to hide except under the desk. Two hours ago, she was trapped in a place just like it. She'd spotted the creature through the window while she was looting, and it was looking right back--a moment later it was _there_, stomping in front of her hiding place. Holding her breath, eyes focused on the tail so close to flicking into her leg, all Amanda could think of was how lucky she'd been to catch it watching her. It circled the room twice. She counted five minutes before it gave up searching the area and clambered back into the vents.

It's easy to imagine the same thing happening here, with a far different outcome. He seems small without the marshall's overbearing presence beside him.

Amanda doesn't want to come out of this alone.

More than that, Amanda doesn't want him to die.

"You should take the flamethrower."

"What?"

"It's going to be useless out there, and I've got molotovs for the way. You'll have better use for it."

"I rather hope not!"

"It's just a precaution. Better to have it and not need it..."

Ricardo scoffs. "You're right, of course you're right. I'll meet you in the hall for it."

She hesitates in the handover. "Do I need to show you how to use it?"

"I'm the one who built it."

"Thank you. So many times, it's saved my life."

"And now you're giving it to me?"

Amanda smiles, knows by his frown Ricardo notices the tears in her eyes. This feels like an ending.

"You okay, Rip?"

"I'd like it if you didn't die, too. That's all."

"If you say so. Don't think this means you don't have to come back."

"I'll be back," she assures, squeezing his arm. "Be safe."

"There's no activity here, I'll be fine. Just do me a favor and follow your own order, yeah?"

"Yeah." She moves towards the elevator, pauses, looks back, "Watch the vent."

"Roger that."

* * *

Ricardo is not at his desk.

Ricardo is not at his desk, and Amanda chokes on her own saliva. Fire ants have made her throat their hive, but she dare not cough. The creature is thumping around overhead. So, she breathes through her nose as much as she can, tries to ignore how it's not enough, and doubles back.

Ricardo is not at his desk, which means he's somewhere else. Living or dead.

For all the noise the creature's making, it seems perfectly happy to stay in its vents as the seconds tick by like hours, bearing none of the restlessness it had when it knew for a fact there was prey below its feet.

Of course, there may be a second just through this door.

Whether due to arrogance or an allergy to sharing, they never attacked together. Not that she's complaining.

Her knees ache from the awkward crouch walk. She pauses near a locker, focus diverting solely to the alien above, and stands. Her knees pop. The banging stops. Amanda's hand reaches to open the locker. She waits; it wouldn't be the first time the sound of her retreat summoned the damn thing, and it's begun checking them.

A human head peeks from around the corner. She fumbles the revolver.

"Ripley!" Ricardo calls, voice a strained whisper.

A thud. A hiss. A far too cheerful beep.

Amanda barely makes it to Ricardo before the monster darts in, coming to a halt before the locker. It peers in, sniffs, growls. The sound of its furious disappointment sends chills up her spine. She doesn't notice Ricardo grabbing hold of her hand, and it takes two pulls before she follows him. He's squeezing so hard it hurts, so without thinking she returns the favor. It helps.

They move at a slow, miserable crawl, the alien dogging their steps with terrible determination. Sometimes its footsteps trail behind, trail behind. Sometimes it returns to the vents, though it does not stay. She wishes it would stay.

Down the stairs they go, then passed the security forces Ricardo warned her about what feels like a lifetime ago. They get spotted once. The man gets off one shot, then the creature's upon him. Ricardo tugs her up and into a run, and though it goes against her instincts she doesn't protest. There isn't time, and it gets them to an elevator, screams trailing behind them.

Amanda slams the button, waits for the doors to close before she collapses against the wall. Ricardo's with her, panting, with the dumbest grin on his face she's ever seen.

She can't help it. She laughs.

And laughs, and laughs, only tangentially aware that Ricardo's laughing, too.

"See? Easy." The doors open, and he groans. "Don't suppose we can just stay here?"

"How much fuel's left?"

"Ninety-seven. Didn't think it'd be enough against that last one."

Amanda sighs. "No. Probably not."

She'd left him with one forty-one. It makes her wince, thinking of all that happened to him--that could've happened--while she was gone. She's already lost Samuels, and Taylor, and even that asshole, Waits.

"Let's stay together from now on."

"I won't argue with that."

They're still holding hands. It helps.

**Author's Note:**

> whatever happened aboard the torrens doesn't in this verse. 'cause i say so :P


End file.
